Web feeding and compensating mechanism for travelling-cylinder presses.



Pa't'ented-Nov. 26, mi.

G. F. HEAD.

WEB FEEDING AND COMPENSATING MECHANISM FOR TRAVELING CYLINDER PBESSES.

[Application filed July 10, 1899 (No Model.)

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No. 687,267. P atented m. 26, |90 .,;vv

a. F. READ.

WEB FEEDING AND GOMPENSATING MECHANISM FOR TRAVELING GYLINDERPBESSES;

(A um'ion filed Julv 10, 1899.) r e (No Model.) H 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES" ATENT men.

GEORGE E. READ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ROBERT HOE AND CHARLES W. CARPENTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., COPARTNERS UNDER THE FIRM-NAME OF R. .HOE & COM- PANY.

WEB FEEDING AND COMPENSATING MECHANISM FOR TRAVELING-CYLINDER PRESSES.

SPECIEELGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,267, dated November 26, 1901.

Application filed July 10, 1899.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE-F. READ, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Web Feeding and Compensating Mechanism for Traveling Cylinder Presses, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accom- IO panying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of printing-machines in which the printing is done bya reciprocating cylinder cooperating with a stationary bed, said machines being ordinarily known in the art as traveling-cylinder machines. When this class of machines is used for the purpose of printing upon a web, itis advantageous to have the web fed constantly into and constantly out of the machine, and constantlyrunning feeding-in and feeding-out mechanisms have been used for this purpose. Inasmuch, however, as during the printing operation the traveling cylinder runs in a loop of the stationary web, it is necessary to provide some means by which the slack Web produced by the constantly-running feeding-in mechanism is taken care of during the printing operation and other means by which suffio cient web is accumulated to supply the constantly-running feeding-out devices during the same operation. 'Heretofore, therefore, it has been usual to provide means independent of the feeding mechanism, such 5 means being ordinarily known in the art as looping mechanisms, which are interposed in the run of the web and the purpose of which is to take up the slack produced by the in-feeding operation while the printing is go- 0 ing on to accumulate sufficient web to enable a supply to be given up to the constantly-running out-feeding mechanism during the same operation and to assist in the movement of the web through the machine after each printing operation.

It is the object of this invention to improve the class of machines referred to by doing away with the independent-looping mechan- Serial No. 723,308. (No model.)

isms heretofore used and by so constructing the constantly-operating feeding mechanisms that they shall not only act to feed the web into and out of the machine, but also act to discharge the functions heretofore effected by the independent looping mechanisms.

With this object in View the invention con sists in certain constructions and in certain parts, improvements, and combinations, which will be hereinafter described and then specifically pointed out in the claims hereunto appended. I i

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of atraveling-cylinder perfecting-machine having my .65 improved feeding device attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an end View of the machine looking toward the feeding mechanism with the web removed. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are diagrams indicating the position of the several parts of the feeding mechanism during various parts of the stroke of the traveling cylinder.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of the machine. The frame is provided with the usual beds 2, on which the printing-forms are placed, and also supports a carriage in which the impression-cylinders 3 4 are mounted, said cylinders being carried on shafts 5 6, which are mounted in suitable boxes in standards on the carriage.

While in perfecting or multicolor machines a plurality of independently-driven carriages may be used, if desired, it is preferred to provide, a single carriage 7, which is provided in the present instance with two sets of standards 8 and 9. The beds are provided with suitable ways, as 10, by which the carriage is guided in position.

Any suitable means may be used for driving the carriage and causing the reciprocato ing movement of the cylinders. In the machine shown the sides of thecarriage 7 are provided with racksll, the racks being engaged by gears 12, which are mounted on a shaft 13, extending across the machine from 5 side to side, the gears 12 running upon stationary racks let, the whole forming a beddriving mechanism ordinarily known in the art as a railroad-gear. The shaft 13 of the gears 12 is connected by means of a connecting-rod 15 to a crank-pin 16 on a gear 17, the said gear being mounted on a shaft 18 and being driven by a pinion 19, mounted on a power-shaft 20. This mechanism, as will be readily understood, operates to give a reciprocating movement to the carriage in which the impression-cylinders are mounted, and consequently imparts a reciprocating motion to these cylinders.

The feeding mechanism may be constructed in various ways in order to discharge the functionshereinbeforedescribed- Inthemachine shown, however, there is provided a cylinder 21, said cylinder being mounted on a shaft 22, which is suitably journaled in the frame of the machine. The cylinder-shaft 22 is provided with a gear 23, by which it is continuously driven in the same direction, the said gear being driven by a gear 23. The gear 23 is mounted on a shortshaft 24, which carries a miter-gear 24,-, said miter-gear meshing with a miter-gear 25, mounted on a wayshaft 25. The way-shaft 25 has at its opposite end a miter-gear 26, which meshes with a similar gear 27 on the shaft 13. This continuously-driven cylinder 21 operates in connection with parts hereinafter described to feed the web continuously into and out of the machine.

Suitable means are provided to direct the web to and away from the cylinder. In the present machine these means consist of rollers 23 29, the roller 28 operating in connection with the cylinder 21 to continuously feed the web into the machine and the roller 29 operating in connection with the cylinder 21 to continuously feed the web out of the machine. These rollers 28 29 are preferably also continuously driven, and the driving may be effected in various ways and by various means. Preferably, however, the cylinder 21 is provided with a gear 30. The roll 28 is provided with a pinion 31 and the roll 29 with a pinion 32, these pinions being arranged so as to mesh with the gear 30 on the cylinder 21.

In addition to the directing means heretofore described two other rollers 33 31 are also provided. The roller operates in connection with the cylinder 21 to feed the web into the machine and the roller 3% operates in connection with the cylinder 21 to feed the web out of the machine. As this machine is constructed, therefore, the feeding-out mechanism consists of two rollers 29 and 34, which act at two points on the web to feed the web out of the machine, and the feeding-in mechanism consists of two rollers 28 33, which act at two points on the web to feed it into the machine. These rollers 33 34: are also preferably continuously driven. While the driving of these rollers may be effected in various ways, the roller 33 is preferably provided with cease-"r a pinion 35. and the roller 3% with a pinion 36, these pinions engaging the gear 30 on the cylinder 2.1.

In addition to the feeding function discharged by the rollers 33 3t these rollers also actas web controllers and compensators that is to say, after each im pression-stroke of the cylinder they are given a movement in addition to their rotary movement to shift the web throughout the entire machine, so as to bring unprinted web into position to receive an impression. During this shifting movement the roller 33 acts in connection with the feeding-cylinder 21 not only to feed the web into the machine, but to give up the web which has been previously fed in and taken care of by it, and the roller 3t acts not only to draw web through the machine, but also to take care of a certain amount of the web so drawn through, this amount being sufficient to enable the continuouslyoperating out-feed to be carried on during the printing operation, it being understood that during this operation the web is stationary througln out the machine, and the rollers 3t are be ing given a movement which is the reverse of that which is given them in the shifting operation. During this reverse movement the roller 3% is operating in connection with the cylinder 21 to feed web out of the machine, and also to give up web while the roller 33 is operating to feed web into the machine, and also to take up the web so fed in. This movement of the rollers 33 and 3% may be effected by various mechanisms. In the machine shown these rollers are carried on rocking levers 37, there being one of these levers on each side of the machine. The levers 37 may be mounted on extensions of the journal-boxes in which the shaft 22 is mounted. From the hub of one of the levers 37 there extends a short arm 38, which has a segment 39 thereon. This segment 39 meshes with a segment 40, formed on or carried by a lever 41, which is pivoted on. a shaft or rod 42, mounted in the frame of the machine. This shaft carries an arm 41, which is provided with a bowl, said bowl running on the periphery of a cam 22, which is preferably carried on the shaft A spring niay be used to hold the arm against the periphery of the cam, or a closed cam may be employed. It is obvious that as the cam 22 rotates it will transmit movements corresponding to its contour to the levers 37, and consequently to the rolls 33 34. The incoming web W, which is taken from a web-roll mounted in suitable bearings on the machine, after passing over the rollers 28 and and between these rollers and the feed-cylinder 21 is run over a suitable guide 13 and then over guides 4-1 and 45. From the guide 45 it passes over a guide 46, carried on arms 47, extending from the standards of the impressioircylinder 5, between said impression-cylinder and the bed, and over a guide 48, carried on arms 49, extending from the other side of the standards.

These guides 46 48 form the loop in which the cylinder travels, as is usual in this class of machines. After leaving the guide 48 it is run over a guide 49, which is carried in'arms 50, mounted at one end of the frame. This guide 49 is preferably made adjustable by means of suitable screws 50, so as to regulate the position of the respective impressions on the opposite sides of the sheet. After leaving the guide 49 it runs over a guide 51 and around a guide 52, said guide being carried on adjustable arms 53, the adjustment of the arms being controlled by screws 54. The purpose of adjusting the arms 52 is the same as that for adjusting the guide 49. From the guide 52 it passes over a guide 55, carried on arms 56, extending from the standards in which the impression-cylinder 4 is mounted, between said cylinder and the bed, and over guide 57, extending from arms 58. The guides 55 and 57 form the loop in which the second impression-cylinder moves. After leaving the guide 57 the web runs over a guide 59, which, like the other guides, is preferably a roller and is suitably jonrnaled in the frame of the machine, after which it passes around the rollers 34 and 29 and between these rollers and the feeding-cylinder 21. From the roller 29 it runs over a guide 60 and out of the machine. The arrangement of the guides described is an ordinary one and may of course be widely varied.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming the cylinders to be moving toward the left of the observer in Fig. 1, it will be understood that the web is to he held stationary between the guides 43 and 59, and the impression-cylinders will move in loops formed by the guides 46 48 and 55 57, respectively. Inasmuch as the feeding-in rolls 28 and 33,

. acting in conjunction with the cylinders 21,

are constantly feeding web into the machine and inasmuch as the cylinders 29 and 34, acting in conjunction with the cylinder 21, are continuously feeding web out of the machine it follows that the movement of the rocking arms 37 must be such as to cause the roller 33, in addition to its feeding movement, to take up the web fed in and to cause the roller 34, in addition to its feeding movement, to give up web to be fed out. The lever 37 is therefore moved through its cam connections in the direction indicated by the arrow on the cylinder 21 in Fig. 1. As soon as the cylinder has completed its printing stroke and passed off impression it is necessary that the web be advanced so as to provide a new unprinted portion which will receive an impression on the back stroke of the cylinder. The operating connections for the levers are accordingly operated to swing the levers in the direction opposite to the arrows, thereby causing the feeding-rollers 33 and 34 to give up and pull through web respectively. As soon as this pulling-through movement, which is effected between the times when the cylinders leave off printing and begin it again, is

completed the lever 37 reverses its movement and the cylinders begin their return printing stroke.

The underlying idea of the invention is the substitution for the ordinary continuous feeding mechanism and looping devices of a continuous feeding mechanism which discharges both the functions of afeeding mechanism and looper. Thisfeeding'mechanism,furthermore, feeds the web directly to anddirectly away from the couples,but by reason of its construction it delivers the web to and away from the couples intermittently. In other words,while the feeding operation is continuous the delivery of the web so fed to and away from the couples is intermittent. While the embodiment of the invention which has been described is regarded as the preferable one, it is to be understood that many modifications are possible. For instance, while it is desirable that the rollers 28 29 be continuouslydriven feeding-rollers it is not absolutely necessary to the operation of the mechanism that these rollers act as feeding-rollers. They might serve simply as guides to direct the web toward and away from the feeding-cylinder.

Various other modifications of the continuous feeding mechanism are also possible. The invention is therefore regarded as including all constructions in which a device is applied to a traveling-cylinder printing-machine to continuously feed the Web and at the same time act as a web controller and compensator.

What I claim is- 1. In a travelingcylinder machine, the combination with a printing-couple, of a feeding mechanism, said mechanism acting to constantly forward the web and feed it directly and intermittently from the couple and deliver it out of the machine, substantially as described.

2. In a traveling-cylinder machine, the combination with a printing-couple, of a continuously-operating feeding mechanism oper-,

ating to feed the web into the machine and directly and intermittently to the couple, sub stantially as described.

3. In a travelingcylinder machine, the combination with a plurality of couples arranged to print on both strokes of the cylinder,ofacontinuonsly-operatingfeedingmechanism which acts to feed the web directly and intermittently to the first couple of the series and directly and intermittently away from the last couple of the series, substantially as described.

4. In a traveling cylinder machine, the combination with a printing-couple, of a continuously-operating feeding mechanism acting to take the web directly from the couple and deliver it out of the machine, and means whereby a part of said continuously-running feeding mechanism is caused to act as'a compensating mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In a traveling cylinder machine, the combination with a printing-couple, of a continuously-operating feeding mechanism acting to feed the web into the machine and directly to the couple and means whereby a part of said continuously-running feeding-in mechanism is caused to act as a compensating mechanism, substantially as described.

6. In a traveling cylinder machine, the combination with a plurality of couples arranged to print upon both strokes of the cylinder, of a continuously-operating feeding mechanism acting to feed the web into the machine and directly to the first couple and directly away from the second couple and out of the machine, and means whereby a part of said continuously-operating feeding mechanism is caused to operate as a compensating mechanism, substantially as described.

7. In a traveling cylinder machine, the combination with a printing-couple, of afeeding mechanisn1,said feeding mechanism being arranged to operate at two points on the web to feed it into the machine and at two points on the web to feed it out of the machine, and means whereby a part of said mechanism is caused to act as a compensating mechanism, substantially as described.

8. In a travelingcylinder machine, the combination with a printing-couple, of a con tinuously-running feeding-roll, means cooperating with said roll to enable it to continuously advance the web, and means whereby the roll is also caused to act as a compensating device, substantially as described.

9. In a traveliugcylinder machine, the combination with a printing-couple, of a set of feeding-in rolls, a set of feeding-out rolls, means cooperating with the rolls whereby they act to continuously advance the web, and means whereby one roll of each set is caused to act as a compensating device, substantially as described.

10. In a traveling-cylinder machine, the combination with a feeding-cylinder,of means cooperating therewith to direct the web toward and away from the cylinder, two rollers operating in connection with the cylinder to feed forward the web, and means whereby said rollers are caused to act as compensating devices, substantially as described.

11. In a traveling-cylinder printing machine, the combination with a feeding-cylinder, of means cooperating therewith to feed the web into and out of the machine, two rollers cooperating with the feeding-cylinder, and means whereby said rollers are caused to act as compensating devices, substantially as described.

12. In a traveliug-cylinder printingmachine, the combination with a feeding-cylinder, of means cooperating therewith to feed the web into and out of the machine, two rollers cooperating with the feeding-cylinder and also acting to continuously feed the web into and outof the machine, and means whereby said rollers are caused to act as compensating devices, substantially as described.

13. In a traveling-cylinder printing-machine, the combination with a feeding-cylinder, of two rollers cooperating therewith to feed the web into and out of the machine, two other rollers also cooperating with the cylinder to feed the web into and out of the machine, and means whereby the last two rollers are caused to act as compensating devices, substantially as described.

14. In a traveling-cylinder printingmachine, the combination with a feeding-cylinder, of means whereby it is continuously driven, a set of continuously-driven rollers operating to feed the web into the machine, a set of continuously-driven rollers operating to feed the web out of the machine, and means whereby a roller of each set is caused to act as a compensating device, substantially as described.

15. In a traveling-cylinder printing-machine, the combination with a plurality of couples, said couples being arranged to print on both strokes of the cylinders, of a single feeding mechanism located at one end of the machine and consisting of a continuouslydriven feeding-cylinder,a set of continuouslydriven infeeding and a set of continuouslydriven outfecding rolls, and means whereby a roll of each set is caused to act as a compensating mechanism, substantially as described.

16. In a traveling-cylinder machine, the combination with a feeding-cylinder, of a roll operating in connection therewith to continuously feed web into the machine, a roll operating in connection therewith to continuously feed web out of the machine, a pair of takeup rolls located on opposite sides of the axis of the cylinder, and means for operating said take-up rolls, substantially as described.

17. In a traveling-cylinder machine, the combination with a feeding-cylinder, of a roll operating in connection therewith to continuously feed Web into the machine, a roll operating in connection therewith to continuously feed web out of the machine, a pair of pivoted arms, a pair of take-up rolls mounted in the arms and located on opposite sides of the axis of the cylinder, and means for operating the arms, substantially as described.

18. In a traveling-cylinder machine, the combination with a feeding-cylinder, of a roll operating in connection therewith to continuously feed web into the machine, a roll operating in connection therewith to continuously feed web out of the machine, a pair of pivot ed arms the pivotal point of which is in the same line as the axis of the cylinder, 2. pair of take-up rolls carried by the arms, and means for swinging the arms about their pivotal point, substantially as described.

19. In a traveling-cylinder machine, the combination with a feeding-cylinder, of a roll operating in connection therewith to continuously feed Web into the machine, a roll operating in connection therewith to continuously feed web out of the machine, a pair of arms mounted on the cylinder-shaft, apair of takeup rolls mounted in the arms, means for moving the arms, and meansfor causing one of the take-up rolls to operate as a feeding-in roll and the other take-up roll to operate as a feeding-out roll, substantially as described.

20. In a traveling-cylinder machine, the combination with a continuouslyrunning feeding-cylinder having a gear, a roll driven from said gear and operating in connection with the cylinder to continuously feed web into the machine, a second roll also driven from the gear and operating in connection with the cylinder to continuously feed web out of the machine, a pair of arms mounted on the shaft of the cylinder, take-up rolls mounted in the arms and located on each side of the axis of the cylinder, pinions on said rolls meshing with the gear on the cylinder, and means for rocking the arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' GEORGE F. READ. 

